Others draw New York...

Just saw this on The New York Times on-line. Apparently, y'all weren't the only ones drawing New York! Enjoy...

http://happydays.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/04/sketchbook-a-summer-in-the-city/

Frame up opening

I love these cookies! great job emilie


Here are some pics from the opening on Friday night. We had a great turnout! Thanks to everyone who helped/brought food/ bought a raffle ticket.

Official Press Release

Student Art Exhibition At The FrameUp Gallery on the Square
The Big Five and The Big Apple

On August 28th, works of digital photography and drawing created by University of Mississippi students will be exhibited at the FrameUp Gallery. The exhibition will feature the work created during two different Studio Art on Location courses in New York and Tanzania.

Draw! New York, taught by Lou Haney, Assistant Professor of Art and the Foundations Coordinator, focused on New York City as their subject. Using city sites from which to draw such as Central Park, Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, Greek and Roman sculpture at the Metropolitan Museum and architecture like the Brooklyn Bridge and Lower Manhattan students explored all the city had to offer. Students also experienced contemporary and modern art through visits to the Museum of Modern Art, Guggenheim Museum, the Whitney, and Brooklyn Museum of Art. To get a sneak peek of their experiences while in New York check out their blog site at http://www.drawnewyork.blogspot.com/.

Digital Photography on Safari was taught by Assistant Professor of Art Brooke White and focused digital travel photography in Tanzania. During their ten days of travel, the Olé Miss safari group visited five game parks including, Arusha National Park, Tarangire National Park, Lake Eyasi and Manyara National Park, Ngorongoro Crater. The group saw and photographed many native animals, including all of the Big Five, which include lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino. In addition to seeing many animals unique to this region, the class spent a day with the Hadzabe tribe learning about their culture and enjoying songs. Students also learned about the cultural and ecological history of the host country, and had the opportunity to dance with the Masaai. Over the ten-day class, each student was asked to create a digital portfolio that reflected his or her own personal expression. Their results will be featured at this exhibition. To get a seek peek of one students’ work check out their blog site at: http://www.lunartwilyght.blogspot.com/

All are invited to the exhibition’s opening reception of The Big Five and The Big Apple on Friday August, 28th from 5-7pm, food and refreshments will be available. Come see what Tanzania and New York City look like through the eyes of twelve OleMiss students. This exhibition runs through September 8th and is open daily from 9am to 5pm.

BONUS: Two works created by Professor Lou Haney and Professor Brooke White will be raffled off that evening to raise money for the Student Art Association. Cash and check accepted

I wish I had found this before the trip...

check out this map of street art in NYC

Big 5 and the Big Apple

Here is the sign up list

Tuesday Aug. 25 @ 3 pm- meet at the Frame-up

Robert, Wyatt, Erica, Dani, Dora Lee

Reception
Friday 8/28 5-7 pm

1. appetizer - Catherine
2. appetizer- Vanessa
3. dessert- Emilie
4. dessert- Sarah
5. punch/ice- Dora Lee

I will let you know when the cards come in!

Matting demo

Hey everybody-

I hope everyone had a safe trip home. I found a basic matting demo on the web. It is very basic, but if you have any questions let me know.

Time flies when you are having fun...

Today, I visited the Frick Galleries. I had never been and I am glad that I went. Mr. Frick definitely had specific tastes- landscapes and portraits. I saw some lovely Rembrandts and Vermeers. My favorite genre is Dutch still life- New York City has little to no still lifes. I saw one Heda painting at the Met. hmmmm.... I guess I need to teach Draw! Paris or Draw! Amsterdam in order to see some good still lifes. No pictures at the Frick, but I took some images of the garden.

This is one of the paintings I saw- I didn't expected to like a Whistler show- but I think this is a really smart painting.


I headed down to the Bowery and saw the New Museum. The building is outstanding. I saw David Goldblatt and Emory Douglas exhibit. Emory Douglas was the official artists for the Black Panthers. Some of the graphic design was really nice. David Goldblatt is a more political William Eggleston. He is South African- his pictures are banal and beautiful. However, his works tells you so much about the racial issues there.



I am heading back in the morning. We just finished an awesome dinner at Gnocco in the East Village. Safe travels...

last post!

Hello everyone......

What a long week! I feel like everyone has learned a lot and seen a lot!

Now that everything has settled down I want to take a chance to reflect and actually absorb what I have seen and done during this class!  I cannot believe that we have all seen works by master artists like Picasso, Monet and so on.  Many people never get the chance to see and do the things in their lifetime that we have done in only 10 days! I learned a lot about the world in general through my time here.

I learned that while you may expect a certain type of person to be mean or rude or unfriendly, you cannot judge a book by its cover.  You cannot also judge an artist by one work.  For example the things I realized about Mondrian, Bacon and others.  I also learned to appreciate architecture more...the Guggenheim drawings that I made was one of my favorites and also the hardest for me to do.  It seemed simple...just circles but actually the feat was much harder than it appeared.  I guess one thing I have learned for sure is that nothing is as it seems and people may surprise you in plesant ways (like nice people giving directions on subway....girls that worked at duane reade were nice and stayed open late for us)  Anyhow...this has been one of the greatest experiences for me and I am so glad that I got to share it with all of you!

Last two days of Museums.

Friday afternoon, we visited The Guggenheim. This was definitely my least favorite of all of the museums we have been to. Frank Lloyd Wright's exhibit was amazing to take in, but his design of the Guggenheim does not serve well as a public museum, in my opinion. The Guggenheim is uncomfortable to walk, either way, down or up. Because the walls are rounded off, no large compositions could be hung for display. The rooms that are used as art galleries are too tiny for the large crowds that visit the museum.

This morning, Saturday, we ventured out on our last museum visit. Sarah, Robert and I chose to visit the Brooklyn Museum, after a good recommendation from Erica. I was fascinated with Shonibare's mannequin exhibit. All the different types of medium used to create different compositions was amazing! The girl in me, enjoyed Art Smith's jewelry exhibition. Normally people do not take into consideration all the different forms of art, and that jewelry making is an art in itself. I really enjoyed all the museum had to offer, even though it was a quick trip. Another benefitting factor was that it wasn't too crowded like most of the other places we have been too.

I'm excited about dinner tonight and can't wait to see y'all!

Over already? I just kind of got the hang of this blogging thing and now we're done. Maybe I'll join Twitter...

So, don't worry, I'm not going into another pizza/small business owner rant in this post. At the Guggenheim yesterday, Lou asked us to search for positives and negatives of the space. Like Emily, I didn't really enjoy the museum as a whole, but I loved the side wings with the artists like Picasso and Matisse. Frank Lloyd Wright seemed to have lead a fruitful career, but because I don't know much about his past, I wasn't able to connect to the architecture and plans on display. Although, I was curious how paintings would be displayed on the round outer walls, and then was pleasantly surprised by the tables topped with glass set up as plans for buildings. I think the museum is interesting, but not the best we've visited in New York this far. Five floors of one architect while tens of painters are shoved to the side was a little weird for me. However, I did think it was neat that Wright was about to design his own show space, not just as instillation, but permanently. 

I couldn't have been more excited about climbing to the top of the Empire State Building! I LOVED seeing the city from that point of view! See yall at dinner!!!!!!

the brooklyn museum!

just got back from the brooklyn museum in a rush!! I loved it!! this museum had a relaxed feel that i liked much more than the chaos of the MET and the guggenheim.  robert, dani, and i split up so that we could cover more area of the museum.. i loved the ice block installation by tarvares strachan.  it was mind boggling to me that this same piece of ice has been transported all the way from alaska, to the bahamas, and now to brooklyn! i also enjoyed the films about the reflections in the electric mirror and the yinka shonibare exhibit! this exhibit showcased headless mannequins dressed in very ornate clothing.  i think i found this so interesting because when you look at the human figure, your eyes are automatically directed to the face, but in this exhibit, that was not an option.  we are forced to notice the bodily mannerisms of the mannequins rather than the facial expressions. all in all, the brooklyn museum was probably my second favorite next to MoMA :) 

American Folk Art Museum

Unfortunately, I was not allowed to take ANY pictures at this museum, and I wish I could have, because it had some wonderful things, but on every floor, if I even pulled out my phone, museum security would run up to me and be like: "no pictures, no pictures!!!!." But anyway, today, my last day, I ventured over to 53rd street in Manhattan to go to the American Folk Art Museum. It is located next door to the MOMA, so it was simple to find. There are five floors of artwork. I had never been to a "folk art" museum of any kind, so my only expectations were that I would probably see a bunch of funky stuff made by natives of America or other types of things like that. Boy was I wrong! They had an exhibit of water color paintings on one floor by an artist named Henry Derger. They were landscape paintings, but a little on the abstract side but stressed people in real detail. The colors were wonderful. There were some funky indian looking things on the very top floor. But my favorite part of the museum was an exhibit I absolutely loved: the Collection of Ulysses Davis. Davis was a wood carver from Savannah Georgia. Mostly working out of his home and barbershop in which he owned and gave haircuts, he revealed his wonders to his customers and friends. He was a master wood worker. There were crazy animals and canes to people. He seemed to have done a wood carving of many famous people that influenced him directly: Malcom X, Martin Luther King Jr., Frederick Douglass, etc. One really neat thing was that all lined up in a row, Davis had carved the head and shoulders of each and every American President, each looking like he had a different personality and each wearing a different suit or tuxedo. The incredible thing was, there faces really did express emotion and a sense of unique personality. Finally, at the end of Davis's exhibit, he had carved a self portrait of himself. I was dying to take a picture of it because I just loved this piece. It was fairly small, but he had glasses and a very very large pipe sticking out of his mouth. I think Davis was obviously suggesting that he liked to just sit back, work, give haircuts, and smoke his pipe and just observe and carve. I loved the folk art museum. This concludes my blogs as of now. I have enjoyed blogging about all I have seen and done this trip. I think I have done more than five blogs, but that is ok because I accidently just did some about personal adventures I went on as well as the required ones we were supposed to do. 

8/7-8/8

Friday- I wouldn't think that the saying T.G.I.F. would accurately describe the way we all felt yesterday. I think we just kicked ourselves into auto-pilot and zombied our way through The Guggenheim and Empire State Building. I really don't understand how the people that live here grow accustomed to this rushed lifestyle. I find myself so tired at the end of each day that it is exhausting to do normal activities like eat and shower. I think it would be so strange to live here and allow the "go, go, go" mentality become normal to me.

As for The Guggenheim, it was my least favorite museum that we have visited. The architecture was great, but the Frank Lloyd Wright galleries became very repetitive. No matter how much you actually enjoyed his work, it was difficult to even remember what you had just seen. All around, it was a cold and unwelcoming environment. The guards were impolite, and they were also unclear about rules on photographing and how close to stand to artwork.

The Guggenheim Top of Empire State Building

Interior of NC home at Brooklyn Museum.

Really wish you could see how bright the colors were

Saturday- Went to the Brooklyn Museum for my second museum visit. Loved this place! There was barely anyone there, and they had a great variety of work. I saw everything from Monet's "Houses of Parliament" to a full scale model of a home from North Carolina. It represented Brooklyn perfectly with its laid back feel. There was no rushing from painting to painting. :)

Brooklyn Museum

The Brooklyn Museum had a lot of really cool installations and 3D pieces. Some were really strange-like the refrigerated block of ice that was outside. It referenced the artists memories of his childhood with snow and ice. The ice was actually imported from the Arctic, and kept cool by a massive solar panel powered freezer.

Its always cool to see artwork that you've studies, and I got to do that today! At the Brooklyn Museum, I got to see "The Dinner Party" by Judy Chicago. I studied it last semester in art history. It's known for being an iconic piece of feminist artwork. The headless mannequins dressed in elaborate clothing was really interesting too. There is so much detail in their actions and wardrobe, but they don't have heads so it contradicts the detail and, in a way, it's kind of unsettling haha.

I can't believe it's our last day! I have had a great time, and it was so cool getting to hang out with such a great group of people! It's been a crazy packed trip, but I'm so glad i came. I learned so much and I think I got some really good drawings out of our trip.

The Whit

The Whitney had a lot of really interesting pieces of artwork. I love seeing paintings, but I have also really gained an appreciation for installations on this trip. I used to not really care for installations. I just lumped them all into my category of "too interpretational and random." But at the Whitney, the room with the clear wall in the middle, and mirrors on either side was very cool. I think I liked it because it was somewhat interactive. You could go into the room, shut the door, and it felt like you were a part of the artwork, as opposed to looking at it from behind a rope.

I had never heard of Dan Graham before, but his pieces were so creative and different. He was also at the museum when we were there, which was so cool to actually be in the presence of the person responsible for these pieces of art that were on display at a major museum in New York. It was very surreal.

Seeing art in person

The best part, in my opinion, about going to all the museums is getting to see the artwork up close and in person. For me, its kind of a make or break type of situation. You can love a piece of artwork that you have studied, and when you see it in person, be absolutely overwhelmed by it. To be able to look at a famous piece of work up close and see every brush stroke is incredible. The one that stood out to me was "Starry Night" by van Gogh. The organized randomness of his small brush strokes is insane. My favorite part of getting to see that piece up close was that if you look around the edges, you can see that some parts don't come all the way to the end of the canvas. Its just small details like that that make it so real and remind you that a person just like you and me painted it.

On the other hand, some pieces aren't as impressive as I thought they would be. Most of the time, it was the size that shocked me the most. These artists are so famous, and seeing their work, in itself, its awesome. But the actual piece of work isn't as amazing as i would have thought. Some pieces were a lot smaller than I would have thought, which was kind of disappointing. Overall, I think you still can't really know a piece of work until you see it in person.

G O

last night i had a tasty dinner at an italian restaurant on montague. emilie kept me company along with the flirty italian owner who kept filling our wine glasses to the brim! i have been working on my sketch book a lot and am pleased with everything in it. this morning i took the subway to the brooklyn museum. after walking into the museum i realized i wouldnt have to fight the crowds today.  it contained lots of ethnic art including chinese, japanese and a notable collection of egyptian work. i was thrilled to find several of monet's paintings in the european area. his colors are magnificent. his work was set off against a white wall which made it pop.  i would love to mimic his loose brush strokes in my painting class next semester. the feminist exhibit was also quite moving. i noticed the brooklyn museum had an educational wing. classes are offered for those interested in learning to paint, draw etc. 

upon leaving we ran into a marching band. the music they were producing brought a smile to the face. i knew this was the "sound of the city". i have met such a variety of new yorkers, all very hospitable and interested in learning more about me and our group. 

although this class has been rushed i have thouroghly enjoyed my week. brooklyn is almost peaceful compared to the fast pace manhattan.  lou has been such a delight to be around. i have seen so many beautiful peices of art. i have gotten to take some breath taking pictures! i couldn't have asked for more fun loving group of people to be around in new york city! i look forward to our exhibit coming up in oxford!

xoxo

dora lee

The Frick Collection Art Museum

For my second art museum I visited the Frick Museum of Art. Unfortunately photos of any kind were not allowed. This is especially sad as the entire place is gorgeous! Unlike the MOMA, the Guggenheim and the Whitney, which all use the plain white wall approach to curating, the Frick presents the Art inside of the former residence of Mr. Henry Frick. Mr. Frick was the wealthy collector who amassed the impressive collection displayed within the Frick Collection. The Home itself is a work of art with impressive scrolling work on the ceilings and doors. There are several rooms where the walls themselves instead of being covered with wall paper have been covered with a series of paintings. My personal favorite was the Boucher room, the walls of which were covered in images of a little boy and girl playing together. Always the same boy and girl distinguishable by the distinctive braid on the little girl and the reddish jumpsuit outfit on the little boy. For me what makes this room special is not just the cute kids in each scene but that in one scene you see the little boy seated sketching this bust of the little girl. And then right next to that wall actually in the room with you is the bust he is sketching. Its an actual work that Mr. Frick owned. It was pretty cool. Overall I like the way the Frick was curated better than say the Whitney, but then I really don't like the whole white wall thing. I do have to say though in some places there was a glare on some of the paintings and the more consideration should have been given to light placement.

On the way home I walked past Franz West's "Ego and Id" on the south east corner of Central Park. There was also a few smaller of his pieces in the MOMA sculpture garden but the "Ego and Id" installation is massive as it reaches twenty feet high. In the plaque it states that Mr. West intends his works to be interacted with and that he was a member of the "action" art group in Vienna. Each of these pieces turn up at the bottom creating tiny seats at the bottom on which passersby can stop and sit. The colors were lovely and bright. I kept trying to figure out which piece was ego and which was id. I think the all pink was the Ego b/c the ego is supposed to be the slightly more rational and in control part compared to the Id. I think the Id would be the more bright and clashing multi-colored piece. I really like this installation and would like to learn more about the artist.

pros and cons of the guggenheim

friday we went to the guggenheim!! i must say that i had higher expectations for this museum. upon arriving at the guggenheim i noticed the unique structure and was intrigued. after entering, it was obvious that the flow of the museum did not work well; i kept running into people! we took the elevator to the top and began to work our way down. i like the openness of the museum, but the constant slope downward hurt my feet. i also think it would be hard to maneuver around there if you were handicapped or in a wheelchair. on another note, frank lloyd wright's: from without outward completely blew my mind. it is amazing to me how the mind of an architect works, and i enjoyed seeing his blueprints and models firsthand. at first, i thought that wright did everything on his own, but lou informed me that he had the best architects working under him to help him out, so he did not do everything on his own. i also learned that he had workers who's jobs were specifically to make the detailed models that were on display. those were very impressive!! another con of the museum was the lack of variety. after visiting larger museums like the MoMA and of course the met, the guggenheim seemed very small and limited. All in all, the guggenheim was my least favorite, but it was still very interesting!! hopefully the brooklyn museum today will be another great experience.

Central Park vs. The Grove

Friday morning, on our way to the Guggenheim, we were strolling alongside the outskirts of Central Park and an uppity real estate area. The outer branches of the park's bordering trees created a nice shade and a view that was aesthetically pleasing to look out. I turned to Mrs. Haney and said, "I know this sounds straight out of Mississippi, but I sort of feel like I'm in the Grove right now." She then preceded to tell me about Frank law Olmsted.

During the 1850s, people began to consider the beautification of cities and how it could aid in viewer attraction and create happiness. This became known as the City Beautiful Movement. Frederick law Olmsted played a leading role in this movement and has long be known as the founder of American landscape architecture.

Olmsted and a man by the name of Calvert Vaux, created Greensward, their entry for design that was entered into the Central Park design competition of 1858. It was chosen as the park's design, leading Olmsted to serve as chief architect. The park's design includes many of

 Olmsted's recognizable trademarks, such as winding paths, scenic views and large open areas.

So, do these trademarks sound familiar to y'all? Olmsted was also behind the initial Grove design. Yep, that's right. Our good "Ole" university brought in the father of landscape architecture to map out a design for The Grove! 

I'm excited that NYC contains a beautiful area that we can all feel at home in. I wonder if Eli ever attempts to pitch a tent and set up tailgate in Central Park? haha.

I used some information for this blog from www.franklawolmsted.com

pizza pizza

I love pizza and going to Grimaldi's a few days ago was a treat! I would like to use this post to compare, in my own opinion, the pizza in Oxford to the authentic New York pizza place our class visited earlier in the week. Funky's is probably my favorite pizza in Oxford. I think Funky's one ups Grimaldi's as far as atmosphere is concerned; the walls decorated with pop culture appeals to the mass amount of students within the small town. And although Grimaldi's wasn't boring, the traditional family style joint did add any flare to the atmosphere-the checkered tablecloths could be replaced with something a little more fun. And, at Grimaldi's, no one seemed happy to have us. Maybe I'm just use to the small town feel where I can walk into a pizza joint and say hello to the owner while requesting he put on some Counting Crows. At Grimaldi's, we were corralled behind a rope to wait outside the building by an unhappy hostess who didn't seem satisfied with the lunch rush until she saw our large group leave. 

 Down to the pizza part.... Funky's kicks Grimaldi's butt in that department too if you ask me...LOADED with toppings and handmade, you can't get better. And although I watched the man at Grimaldi's make our pizza and throw it into the oven, there's something to say about that extra little effort they put into business at a new place in a small town like Funky's. If ya'll haven't had their pizza yet, go in and grab a slice (oh yea, Funky's sells slices) of the Fratboy, or Sorority Girl, in the early afternoon of after the bars close for late night. You'll be pleasantly surprised.

Mr. Wright, The Guggenheim and Me.

So today we visited the Guggenhiem and got a glimpse into the way Frank Lloyd Wright viewed architecture and the potential of buildings. Mr. Wright was most certainly a visionary. On one of the buildings for which plans and model were on display the label stated the Mr. Wright had been approached with a request for a two or three story building. He responded with plans for a 22 story tower with an adjoining parking structure. I really don't think the man knew how to dream small. Some of his ideas were truly epic! His futuristic city was gorgeous including air taxis, gorgeous towers, and plenty of space. Its understandable as to why it never was built, but still its a pretty neat dream. His Pittsburgh Park and Recreation Center plan was I think my favorite. His design for an aquarium with two huge spheres filled with sea life was just awesome and I think it would be a fantastic design to implement. However, I don't believe this one ever was.

Being in the Guggenheim was in itself interesting b/c it was built by Mr. Wright and was a great example of his work. Its was certainly a good example of his love of including geometric shapes in his works in innovative ways. The building's shape seemed to be rather peaceful and just felt smooth. However, the building didn't seem peaceful overall to me. Maybe its because I was rather tired, maybe it was b/c of all that white paint. I don't know. I personally like the Met better, the browns seem calming to me. I also noticed that the building as a whole doesn't have much permanent installation space. It seems set up to be more of a gallery, a huge gallery, than it does a museum. However, I really like the building. I would just like to paint it a slightly less jarring color. Which, I mean I don't understand this intense fascination with white that the art world has. All of MOMA and the majority of galleries seem to all be painted white inside. I understand that you want the walls to fade away so that the viewer can focus on the art, but I think light grays and browns would do just as well. So anyway, those are my thoughts on the Guggenheim.

Dan Graham @ the Whitney

I really enjoyed the Dan Graham exhibit at the Whitney. I personally find Mr. Graham to be a fascinating all be it quirky person and after hearing his lecture I was looking forward to seeing his art. I was not disappointed.

I found that Mr. Graham seems to have a number of themes running through most of his work. He likes to look at concepts of time and space, both with his video art and his structures. He also likes to make a point with his work, such as with his "Rock My Religion" video and his "Homes for America" piece. I personally found "Rock My Religion" to be almost more of a documentary than a video art. Though it was very artistically done. I don't know, maybe I need to reconsider my definition of video art I guess. At any rate, the video pointed out the similarities between religion and music. The similarities between various religions groups and say the rock and roll fans or the hippies were pretty interesting. Mr. Graham's point seems to be that there is something in our make up that pushes us to express ourselves in intense emotional ways. And where the religious groups he mentioned such as the Quakers or Baptists find their emotional release and validation in their religious services and passions so the rock and roll fan find similar release in the rock concert. I'm butchering the concept but it was very fascinating. An effective technique Mr. Graham used was to play clips of the band and audience at a rock and roll concert rocking out without sound. This caused you to focus on the expressions and intensity of motion from a more objective standpoint without hearing the music. Then he switched over and let the viewer see clips of what appeared to be a southern revival meeting with the people praising the lord, jumping and praying without sound. You watched the Rock Lead interact with his audience and then you saw the Preacher interact with his congregation, all without sound. Once again, the similarities were amazing. Even down to almost exact expressions and movements towards the viewers.

So at any rate, I really enjoyed his "Rock My Religion" video. That was my favorite work of his though I liked several of his architectural works as well. I seem to be developing a really intense love of innovative quirky art design. I really enjoyed both Ron Arad and Dan Graham.

The Whitney and DA MET!

Well, I chose the Whitney as one of my optional museum visits.  I wanted to go because I had never been to the Whitney and it is contemporary art.  First of all, I must say, I thought that the lime green tickets for the Whitney were really cool -- not relevant but something that I noticed and I know that a lot of thought was put into it.

I liked the Whitney....it was smaller and easier for me to manage myself there.  My favorites there were anything by Charles Oldenburg.  I am glad I went to the Whitney, because like with my epiphany at MoMA with Piet Mondrian I saw a whole new side of Oldenberg that I wasn't aware of.  One of my favorite things there in Oldenburg's exhibit was his Dream Pin.  All of his soft sculptures were really cool and edgy.  I liked how even though he was not working with something that would become a hard and definite finished object everything he made still looked lifelike.  

Dream Pin, I really liked it and sketched it for a while and included it in my collage.  I like how he took an everyday object and took the time to study it and draw it and make it art.  I also was only familiar with Oldenburg's sculpture so I liked seeing his sketches. 

I liked Edward Hopper's work too.  I am not sure what drew me into his paintings.  I liked the blonde busty girl that was in a few of them.  I don't know if it was the colors or the people and the time period that he created in the paintings, but I was drawn to his work for some reason.

THE MET

The Met also was wonderful as to be expected.  I was almost frustrated there though because it was so crowded and I knew I wouldn't be able to see everything the museum had to offer!  I went to the fashion exhibit and enjoyed it.  The Francis Bacon exhibit really stayed with me after I left the museum.  

I liked the Bacon exhibit, because I felt that by looking at all the paintings that he created over his career that I knew him.  First of all, I never knew that Bacon was gay.  This makes more sense to me knowing this because he rarely ever painted females.  Also, it seems that Bacon lived a hard life and had a fast lifestyle.  

I loved the Bacon exhibit, because I actually read about and understood the emotion behind his work.  I have never felt like I understood all the "personal stuff" about an artist before.  It made me realize how much art is connected to emotions.  It evokes emotion and it is made because of emotion.  I always knew that some artist didn't paint when they were depressed but I left knowing so much more about Bacon's work and his life and the emotion that he put into his paintings.  I felt a little bit like an intruder on his personal life and space but I guess that is all a part of being an artist....you put yourself out there to be judged! Now we are all going to have to do that soon! SCARY!

Ya MoMA jokes

MoMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! my favorite museum!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Excuse the blog titles, I have a strange sense of humor and have had no rest!

Finally we went to MoMA! I had been waiting for this day the entire trip! I LOVE modern art.  I am not sure what draws me into it.  I think I like the fact that it is not all cut and dried like art from other periods.  In one painting ten different people can look at it and all see and interpret ten different things.  I love it.  I love the discussions that can be sparked because of art like this.  It is all very stimulating to me and so I was glad to get the opportunity to come face to face with the works that I have admired since I was a little girl.

I knew what I really wanted to see the second I walked in the door.  My favorite paintings are usually by French painters from the time period of mid to late 1800s to early to mid 1900s.  Finally I get to use the few art history skills I have acquired at the University of Mississippi! These favorites of mine include but are not limited to the likes of Henri Matisse, Vincent Van Gogh (he is Dutch but of the period and I love him), Pablo Picasso (even though he is a Spaniard, I know), Degas, Paul Cezanne, Pissaro and I could go on and on!

I loved all the obvious works.  There seemed to be something there for everyone that likes the impressionism period and current modern art.  However, I was pleasantly surprised by one artist whom I had almost cast aside as someone whose work I did not appreciate enough (or in the correct way at least).  This artist that I was so surprised by was Piet Mondrian.

I always thought that all of Mondrian's work was very simple and clean lines.  Before my visit to MoMA I would not have described his work with any gusto.  I always thought it was cool that he was most noted for creating the style of work that he is most noted for.....his grids and lines and boxes and mostly three colors being red, blue and yellow.  

As I'm writing this now I am ashamed to say that in the back of my mind I always wondered if Mondrian was capable of producing more realistic work rather than his sparse lines and boxes. Luckily, at MoMA I loved the fact that I saw other work by Mondrian that was beautiful and lifelike.  I especially enjoyed his sketches of plants.  They looked real and beautiful and I never knew he did any work like this! 

The MoMA totally blew all of what I thought I knew about Piet Mondrian out of whack!  I'm glad that I had this experience, because now I want to learn more about Mondrian and his other work that I do not know anything about.  Not only do I want to learn more about him, but as an Art History student my visit to the MoMA was just what I needed to push myself farther into my studies.  From having my preconceived notions about one artist totally change in a matter of seconds now I want to go farther than just learning about an artist's most famous work....I want to know more about art and the people that created it!

catching up on my blogin' fools!!!

WHEW!!! What a time we have had so far! I got a little behind with my blogging and now I am hitting the ground running ready to catch up!  

Ok....where to begin? There have been too many amazing things that we've all done and seen.  I could write all night about it! Also, all of us already know what has been going on this week so why waste my breath, or keystrokes in this case.

I have noticed that it has been hard to keep up the pace of this city.  I know that at least in room 707 we all are exhausted by the end of the day and usually end up at home and in bed by 9:00 or so.  I have found this trend to be somewhat different to my life in Oxford.  I love it here because of the fact that there are so many things to do during the day.  In Mississippi I dread Saturdays and Sundays from the hours of about 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.  

However, in New York I wake up early (yes 8 and 9 a.m. is early to me) and I am actually in a good mood and look forward to the plans that lay ahead.  I wish that the museums could open up earlier, because I want to get in there and see everything and do everything that this city has to offer!! I wish that I could have the same type of enthusiasm towards my life at Ole Miss.

I want to learn to be more like a New Yorker.....No, not in every sense but the pride that they all take in their city is amazing.  The love they all have for New York is something that links them all together no matter what part they are from.  

 I have noticed that "real" New Yorkers do not litter.  They respect their city enough to keep it beautiful and clean.  For example, on the subway Erica was sitting by a man and she got up to get off subway and he reprimanded her for leaving her empty bottle on the subway.  It wasn't actually her bottle of water, but the man thought that it was and it clearly offended him that she did not throw it away!  I cannot picture this happening at home!   The people here treat their city as their home! People lay around in the parks and probably spend more time outside than in their homes....therefore the city seems more like a home to them than a cramped apartment. That is not the way that people think of our cities in the South.  

Now that I have come to some of these realizations, I am going to try to respect my city more and also even though I can't take the subway to go visit The Met or see the latest show on Broadway I need to appreciate where I come from more and find things that I enjoy doing at home!

Guggenheim Museum

Today we ventured all the way up on the east side of Manhattan to the spectacular Guggenheim Museum designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Conveniently, his exhibit was showing at the museum. I had been looking forward to seeing this museum and exhibit all week, and it definitely did not disappoint. I love architecture, and I almost career-wise went that route, so this exhibit was just for me. I was fascinated by the sixty something different projects of Wright's that were on display. The floor plans, side views, overall drawings and plans, and even real models were all there and full of detail. The structure and form of these beautiful designs just blew me away. Wright truly was one of the greatest architects of the 20th century. Also, this museum houses a Van Gogh and a Monet painting. Both were extremely beautiful. Van Gogh is my favorite major artist, so every time I get to see one of his paintings, many of which are landscapes including this one, I am just in awe. His colors and brush strokes are just amazing. Overall, this museum has ended up being one of my favorites in all of New York. 

After the museum, we went to the Empire State Building. This was my second trip there this week, but this time I got to go to the top during the day. I got some great pictures, one of which is on display above. Just looking at all the amazing buildings and layout of the city amazes me. I could stand and gaze over the city for hours. 

This concludes our day of class. It was one of my favorite days by far.

Thursday-8/6/09

Thursday was the fourth day in NY, and we had a free morning to do museum visits. The Whitney was my museum of choice. I picked it because it has modern art, and modern art it is usually more appealing to me. One exhibit that I found interesting was Dan Graham: Beyond. He had several different large pieces that were made of large walls of reflective tinted glass and mirrors. They were large enough that one could actually walk into the space that was created. It was interesting because the reflections you saw of yourself made you feel as if you were part of the artwork. You became the focus of the art, and it was sometimes humorous and embarrassing. It almost reminded me of the trick mirrors that you would see at a carnival. I would even compare it to the wall that you could record your height on in the MoMA because it provided such a connection for the viewer.

The Met

On the roof of The Met

Next, we hit up the Met. It was unbelievably amazing but also overwhelming. After much walking around and getting lost, I decided to return to the Mezzanine floor that was used for the storage of American Art (the room that contained Madame X). It was such a relief to be there. There were barely any people, and it had such a variety of things (paintings, furniture, baseball cards, etc.). Although I really enjoy large museums like the Met, they can be exhausting. I like to be able to focus on a piece of artwork rather than feeling rushed walk by it because there are 20 other people waiting to see it. I like the peace and quiet of rooms like the storage area, and they feel like they contain such hidden treasures.

Subway Art

I have to say as much as I love the subway system and how convenient it makes travel around the city I really do hate the subway platforms. Its usually hot and muggy. Lots of people are there, unless its late at night in which case no one else is there. And then you wait for your train to come, which can take anywhere from 5 to 45 minutes. Thats also annoying, for the rest of your day you may be stuck in a crowd, climbing stairs or riding in a packed elevator but you can still take comfort in knowing that you are moving at least a little. You are making progress and moving towards your goal. On a subway platform you come to a complete stop. There is nothing you can do to hurry the process up and you are completely dependent on the subway system.

However, one thing I do love about the MTA that they try to liven up as many of the platforms as possible. They include art in the walls. Different designs and themes individual to each platform. Not all the stops have art work, but many do. It keeps the often times monotonous and dirty platforms from being unbearable. For me at least, the art prompts me to consider why that particular design was chosen for that particular subway station. Sometimes its easy, like the art on the C E Line at the 81st St./ Museum of Natural History stop is pretty easy to figure out. Its animals and natural phenomena on the walls and thus a no brainer as to the connection. But then you have stops like the 14th Street A C Stop that has curious little characters holding money bags perched at random intervals throughout the station and you just stand there wondering. Or the AC stop on Canal street with the black birds perched everywhere. Just makes no sense.

I personally feel that the art enlivens a rather boring and oppressive space. Similar to the musicians who play on the platforms, subway art gives commuters something to occupy there minds with and lift their spirit through.

today is friday!

in my bed! 

this morning ms haney looked over my work. i think i'm on the right track i need to draw draw and draw more though. this morning we traveled to the guggenheim, this is my least favorite museum we have visited thus far. the building although complex seemed very cold. the frank loyd wright exhibit contained only black and white. i prefer to look at more of a value range. one thing i really liked was the fact the ramps made the museum seem more of a whole rather than choppy with all the different levels. i made my way through the museum fairly quickly. the permanent exhibit was rather impressive and contained a variety of pieces.

a group of us went to lunch in an area close to the empire state building. the nachos=YUMMY. service=terrible. we finally caught up with the rest of the group after surpassing many a tourist at the empire state building. i don't do well with heights so i grabbed sarahs hand on the 80 floor ride up to the top. i got some nice pictures on the top  but was not able to draw with all of the crowds shuffling around. wyatt asked me to a yankees game but i have to work! ahh. 

home!

xoxo

dora lee

Friday.... whew!

Today we headed uptown to the Guggenheim. They had a Frank Lloyd Wright show. I was pleasantly surprised! It is amazing to see the breath of his career and how many of his buildings did not get built. I bet people are kicking themselves now...

Waiting in the Guggenheim. We are all worn out....
We headed downtown to the Empire State Building. I took these during the lunch break.
On the 86th floor at the Empire State Building.... It was quite a haul. They have lines and more lines and then some more lines. I was so exhausted that we didn't make it to Chelsea. If I did this again, I would let the students go to the Empire State Building without me. It was beautiful, but I think I would rather look at some art.
On the subway and we are coming home!

Tomorrow is a "free" day. Finishing up sketchbooks, grading, blogging, etc. I may head over to Chelsea in the morning or go the Frick.... There is so much to see and we are headed south on Sunday. Oh well, there is always next year.

wednesday!

today i woke up and went to a quaint little coffee shop near by with sarah and dani. i had a delicious cafe au lai (my favorite). we headed to the whitney shortly after. i thoroughly enjoyed the whitney..partly because i could cover the entire gallery in about two/three hours. i felt the museum was very interactive. I loved that each floor contained different exhibits. the life size cigarette butts and french fries drew my attention. i immediately pulled out the charcoal pencil! i loved that the whitney had more of an edgy, chic feel. the bottom floor contains sarah beth's. it is famous for its omelets and muffins! i got lox, so good. 

the met was huge. i visited "model as the muse" a temporary exhibit on the fifth floor which i loved because of the fashion. the met contained work ranging from hundreds of years old to recent work.  i got several good drawings in of  greek goddess statues. an intern showed us five of her favorite works as a group. the history behind each of the works was fascinating. after the met i went to TOP SHOP on broadway. i saw the gossip girls shopping (vanessa and blair). emilie and i went to dinner at an italian place up the street from our place. after dinner i worked on my sketchbook and popped in sex and the city (how appropriate). 

xoxo

 dora lee

I can't believe thursday has come and gone!

Soo... I also wanted to go to PS1 but noon made that a no go. Instead I trecked the subway system like a brave little girl all the way to The Brooklyn Museum of Art (less than five stops from the Clark subway stop). Anyway, I am really happy that I went to this museum. It was quiet and I had my own personal space as I walked as slowly as I wanted through each part of the museum; not bothering to look at a map even once. De ja vu quickly came over me as I found myself in wonder over all of the different mediums ONE artist can work with. The most standout artist at BMoA, for me, was Yinka Shonibare. His work reached from the world of fashion to instillation art and photography. However, I was pleasantly suprised by the films in his exhibit. One was an interpretation on Swan Lake. Two ballerinas danced the same dance, and depending on the camera angle, one was a reflection in  mirror. The was Shonibare grabbed ideas from other artists to compose his artwork struck me as interesting and I love to think that any art from any period can effect all art that is to come. 

After BMoA I met up with the class on the steps of the Met (yes, I made there on the subway AND on time)! This museum was SO large and considering how slow and comfortable the Brooklyn Museum was, you might can tell I was a little shocked by the pace. There was no way to see everything and I knew that if I looked at a map I would just be upset at all the art I missed. So, I wandered. It was amazing to see artists like Francis Bacon at this spot. I needed more time! When I come back to New York the Metropolitan will be a place I revisit for sure. 

I feel like I've seen a little of the city now, and I'm ready to make some judgements. One-EVERY country of the world is represented in this city. Two-ALL of them go to the Met. Three-people in New York co-exist in a way they NEVER would in Oxford. I think cities like this are amazing. My favorite quote in the world is from Mark Twain, "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness." And although I have traveled a fair bit before, this is the first time I have noticed all of the different nationalities that coexist in a place like this.